I'm not rich! How do they expect some of us to get this done!?

Truly_Blessed · May 10, 2004

AAaaaw, thanx everyone for your help. I was on the phone for about 2 hours with different organizations. I spoke with the Texas Workforce and they offer a program for students that covers tuition fees and books. They said that means I can keep my pell grant for living expenses!!! They also cover uniforms and supplies, and pay for health insurance for the duration of the program!! Yaaaay! This will help me out times 10. Thanks for the suggestions you guys! Have a blessed day:)

manna, BSN, RN · May 10, 2004

Ah, the importance of being prepared. Good luck! :)

I can relate. I was accepted into rad tech school last year and wasn't able to go because of all of the expenses (turned out to be a good thing, anyway).

It'd be interesting to see what everyone's expenses are..

Hep B and TB - $125

Physical - covered by insurance up to $100, thank goodness!

Health insurance - $450/year

Malpractice - $20/year

Nametags - $36

Uniforms - $200

Shoes - $50

Skills packs - $80

Tuition - $3600/year

Books (junior year) - $1,000

Equipment (steth, etc) - $150

I'm sure I'm forgetting something.....

stressgal, RN · May 11, 2004

I have become the Queen of bargins since quitting my job to return to school. Some suggestions that have worked for me:

Make friends with people in your classes and ask around to find people in classes you have yet to take. Our campus bookstore gives hardly any money to buy back books, then re-sells them used for twice what they bought them back for. I hardly ever buy books through them, but rather from other students. I'll give them more than the bookstore but less than I would have to pay for them through the store.

Better yet, find someone who will loan you their books for the quarter. I have a friend who receives a grant for everything, therefor her books are paid for. After she completes the class she will loan them to me for the quarter, I give them back to her when I'm done with them. I do not qualify for grants and am taking out loans or paying out of pocket so this helps me tremendously!

I bought my uniform the same way, I had a class with a gal who dropped out of the program after the first quarter, I bought her hardly used uniform for next to nothing.

Also check out your campus library, they should have a copy of all the textbooks being used. This can tie you over until you find out how much you may truly use a text in class.

For your CPR certification, check with the American Red Cross or Heart Association and ask if they have a scholorship program. Often they will provide training at a reduced fee or free to those without the funds to pay. If they don't have a policy in place, ask if you can volunteer some time in trade. Non profit organizations are always looking for help. I know time is a premium for us so be sure you have the time to give.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

SirJohnny · May 11, 2004

Truly_Blessed:

- Welcome to the wonderful world of nursing school.

- I ended up spending US $690 for shots/titets/physical. The physical was

around US$80 for a 5 min hernia check. You have to make 2 or 3 trips - as you need to get the TB test read 48 hours after they inject you. Then you gotta go back for the second MVR shot.

- Won't mention uniforms, stenthescope, books, tuition, etc.

- Best advice. Grab a credit-card with one of those 6 month 1% teaser rates. Set a max limit for yourself and stick with it.

- See if college has a loan department. Look into hospitals and see if they have a $$ for work (promised work) program.

- Get a security guard job where you can study while working. May require that you back off on a couple of course -- might delay graduation -- but better than nothing.

- See if there is a "free clinic" near you for shots. I've heard of these - but never been to one. May have to do some research on your part.

- Hope this helps.

Gotta run,

John Coxey

Evansville, Indiana.

SirJohnny · May 11, 2004

Truly_Blessed:

- Forgot to mention. You will need about $80 for the CPR class that you'll need to take each year.

- It's not that any one thing is expensive - but rather the "nickel and dime" effect that gets to you.

- Hang in there.

John Coxey

Evansville, Indiana

Torachan · May 11, 2004

I thought everyone knew that uni students don't have a lot of money. Seems the uni's forget that and assaign text books worth $100's of dollars (let me see.. good thing I don't need food this week). Seriously though. At the start of the semester I probably skip about 6 meals due to lack of food and money.

Now how would you make the payments on your credit card? Easy use your other card :)

Some ppl have had an easy ride. Guess you aren't one of them

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · May 12, 2004

Im so sorry your having so much trouble. If you dont mind me asking what city do you live in. TB test are 15 dollers at the health dept. There is a physician in Ftworth that I went to to get a physical (minimal, but she filled the form out ) she saw me for $ 25.00. Insurance this is a big one for me too I have been looking at unicef and all thoses piss ant companies that will say I have major medical. You should have the option of refusing the Hep B ( Although it would be a good idea to have the series) Have you tried to get uniforms from previous students. If they are in good condition it might be ok. When I went to nursing school all that crapola was rolled into the heafty price. Have you tried scholarships. Let me think about this some more ..:)

*sighs* I am a bit frazzled, annoyed, disenchanted, whatever you want to call it. I was accepted to the LPN program a couple of weeks ago and they gave me a long list of things I needed to do before July 7. This list includes all the good stuff like: current immunizations, Hep B, Rubella, TD booster, TB test, lab work, drug screen, etc. The health dept. only offers a couple of these things. I will have to see a private physician for the rest. All of that stuff, from the prices I got, is going to be extremely expensive. Plus, a physical exam.The cheapest I found is $80, and that's the least if the physician doesn't spend alot of time with me. *rolls eyes* THEN there are my uniforms. I can't wait until I save the money up for these...we have to get fitted for them within the next week so they can special order them and they can be here by the time school starts. That alone is $400. All of this stuff is totaling up to money I just do not have. My parents have even hit a rough spot financially and are unable to help until they recover. Jobs are less than abundant in the area I live in....what did some of you do concerning these expenses? I am really stressed out right now. I want this more than anything, but the financial roadblock might be the death of my nursing career before it even starts. I mean, this is one of the many reasons I am going to school to be a nurse, I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY, lol. Geesh. Does anyone know of any programs that would be of some help? I am all out of ideas right now. There has to be a more cost effective way or some help out there for ppl who need it. Any comments and suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you for reading my vent. Have a blessed day:)

hopefully · May 12, 2004

*sighs* I am a bit frazzled, annoyed, disenchanted, whatever you want to call it. I was accepted to the LPN program a couple of weeks ago and they gave me a long list of things I needed to do before July 7. This list includes all the good stuff like: current immunizations, Hep B, Rubella, TD booster, TB test, lab work, drug screen, etc. The health dept. only offers a couple of these things. I will have to see a private physician for the rest. All of that stuff, from the prices I got, is going to be extremely expensive. Plus, a physical exam.The cheapest I found is $80, and that's the least if the physician doesn't spend alot of time with me. *rolls eyes* THEN there are my uniforms. I can't wait until I save the money up for these...we have to get fitted for them within the next week so they can special order them and they can be here by the time school starts. That alone is $400. All of this stuff is totaling up to money I just do not have. My parents have even hit a rough spot financially and are unable to help until they recover. Jobs are less than abundant in the area I live in....what did some of you do concerning these expenses? I am really stressed out right now. I want this more than anything, but the financial roadblock might be the death of my nursing career before it even starts. I mean, this is one of the many reasons I am going to school to be a nurse, I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY, lol. Geesh. Does anyone know of any programs that would be of some help? I am all out of ideas right now. There has to be a more cost effective way or some help out there for ppl who need it. Any comments and suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you for reading my vent. Have a blessed day:)

I did not read the many posts. But to answer your question, go to a county hospital for all that. If you do not have any money, you do not pay.

newgrad2004 · May 12, 2004

try the school too, or talk to exiting students. Most would nearly pay you to take their used uniforms and or books from them. Also in CA where I live we have the BOGG grant which pays for tuition. The Pell we get first week of school. And most schools have someone you can get an emergency loan from. Also check with the nursing progam itself and ask how students are funding themselves. We didnt have to have health insurance. I do think I might have had insurance to pay the physical. But if you know an MD he might be more helpful. I had to get titers for my immunizations because mom had no records of them.

Was a huge pain in the a$$ but is going to pay off soon

Also some of the hospitals have scholarships, and so does the school. Appy for them. School loans are always an option too.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · May 12, 2004

The health dept. was the cheapest place to get my shots updated. I found a local 'small town' kind of doctor. It's only him and his wife in this office, so physicals are cheap ($40 for the works, this included full blood and urine testing, and the most thorough physical i've had. He's now who i list as my physician to call on any forms.

I made a LOT of phone calls for my AHA Heathcare Provider CPR/First Aid training. Found a place (EMS) for $20. Previous employer wanted $50, current employer wanted $65 (if i were a nurse, this would have been paid for by them though).

Yard sales were great for finding a desk ($10 bucks, in good shape) and 3 ring binders (10 cents a piece, the kind with the clear pockets.) And if your uniform consists of white pants, heck you can get white pants for cheap at Wal-Mart. Shoes (TredSafe) at Wal-Mart are $23, durable AND comfortable.

Another thing i did where uniforms are concerned is that i bought ONE shirt (damn thing was 45 bucks and it was a scrub top with a patch!). I took a seam-ripper and took the patch off. I sewed the 'rough' part of Velcro on the back of it. I'd bought 3 regular scrub tops that had no patch (9 bucks each ) and sewed the 'soft' part of Velcro on those. This way all i had to do was slap the patch on the shirt i was wearing. I had 4 'uniform' tops that met with the instructor's approval, and i saved $108 bucks doing it this way!!!

I received a small sum ($500) from my employer, from a "needs" fund. In order toapply for it you write why you need it, and they determine who to award money too. I wrote EVERYTHING, from the car, to the rent, the POS sitting in my parking lot now, gas money, working 60 hours a week to pay the tuition and the bills, you name it. None of it was a lie, but i wrote it ALL down.

SCmomof3, RN · May 12, 2004

Another thing i did where uniforms are concerned is that i bought ONE shirt (damn thing was 45 bucks and it was a scrub top with a patch!). I took a seam-ripper and took the patch off. I sewed the 'rough' part of Velcro on the back of it. I'd bought 3 regular scrub tops that had no patch (9 bucks each ) and sewed the 'soft' part of Velcro on those. This way all i had to do was slap the patch on the shirt i was wearing. I had 4 'uniform' tops that met with the instructor's approval, and i saved $108 bucks doing it this way!!!

I love this idea - I am going to see if this will work for me - thanks :)